Mexico's competition watchdog approves store sale, with conditions

MEXICO CITY Oct 8 (Reuters) - Mexico's competition
regulator approved supermarket chain Soriana's acquisition of
most of the stores of rival Comercial Mexicana, though with
conditions, the firms said on Thursday.

Comercial Mexicana, known locally as Comerci,
agreed in January to sell 160 of its stores to Soriana
, Mexico's No. 2 supermarket, for 39.19 billion
pesos ($2.4 billion).

"Now we are in the process of analyzing and accepting the
conditions imposed by COFECE (the Federal Competition
Commission) in some of the markets involved in the transaction,
so that we can continue with the transaction," Soriana said in a
statement, without providing further details.

Comerci has said the stores it keeps in the deal, numbering
about 40, will allow it to concentrate on areas where it sees
more growth opportunities, such as in upmarket, higher-margin
retail chains like City Market.
($1 = 16.4498 Mexican pesos)
(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Stephen Coates)